Martini Asti DOCG NV Review: From Serious to Seriously Unserious

After a run of Rioja, Rhône and a few bottles that demanded a bit of thought, I found this lurking in the fridge and decided tonight was the night.

Sometimes wine is about terroir, structure and complexity. Sometimes it’s about seeing what’s in the fridge.

First Impressions

The nose took me straight back to childhood.

Forget orchard fruit and floral complexity. This was pure Um Bongo. Tropical fruit, peach syrup and grape juice all rolled into one. It doesn’t whisper from the glass, it practically jumps out of it.

There is absolutely no hiding what this wine wants to be.

In The Glass

If Haribo made a sweet that was half grape and half peach, this would be it.

The bubbles carry wave after wave of sweet fruit flavours across the palate. Peach, grape and confectionery notes dominate from start to finish. It is remarkably easy to drink, helped by the low alcohol level, but it is also incredibly sweet.

There is a freshness to it that stops it becoming completely cloying, but there is no escaping the fact that this is a wine built around simple pleasure rather than complexity.

The Verdict

What surprised me most was not the flavour profile. I expected that.

What surprised me was how quickly I’d had enough.

The first few sips were genuinely enjoyable. Cold, fizzy, fruity and fun. By half a glass though, I was done for the evening.

Perhaps that’s a sign that my palate has changed. I’ve found myself enjoying wines that evolve in the glass and reveal something new with every sip. This Martini Asti tells you exactly what it is from the first second and never really changes course.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Not every bottle needs to be profound. Sometimes a wine can simply be enjoyable for what it is.

Tonight’s tasting note is probably the simplest I’ve written in a while.

On the nose, Um Bongo.

In the glass, liquid Haribo.

Half a glass was enough.